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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Follow up: After being born with only one arm Zach Hodkins was told he would never play college basketball - he just made one of the nations best teams - The University of Florida

(CBS News) Georgia teenager Zach Hodskins was told he'd never play college basketball, but now he's earned a spot on one of the nation's top teams, the University of Florida. The 17-year-old was born without the lower half of his left arm.

"I just see myself as another player that's worked hard to reach his goals," said Hodskins.

However, getting others to see him that way has been difficult, and he told CBS News' Manuel Bojorquez that he "loves" to flip stereotypes of his disability around.

His game videos from Georgia's Milton High School have been viewed 3.6 million times on YouTube, showing him sinking three-pointer after three-pointer.

He caught the attention of scouts, like Joe Davis.

"His birth defect is- really he uses that as a strength," said Davis. "If he ever has to make a left-handed pass, he'll just wrap it around his back and make that pass."

This week, Hodskins finally got the news he has been waiting for: He will be playing for the top-10-ranked Florida Gators next season.

Hodskins told Bojorquez that ever since he was little he knew he wanted play college basketball somewhere.

Matt Kramer, Hodskins' coach, told Bojorquez that this player's inspirational story has been a highlight of his 20 years of coaching high-school basketball.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said. "I've never been around anything like it."

Neither have his teammates.

"He definitely gets his share of looks and whispers, you know, to the side," said Shawn O'Donnell. "I mean, once he starts playing, they're like, he's better than half the kids out there."

That's all Hodskins has ever wanted, to show he's a good basketball player, born with something to prove.

"You can accomplish anything, you know," he said. "Coming up, you know, I know I had a lot of doubters saying, you know, 'He won't play at the highest A1 level,' but I would never listen to those people."